India trounce Bangladesh for Asia Cup title

DHAKA (AP):OPENER Shikhar Dhawan hit a career-best 60 as India won the Asia Cup for the sixth time after beating Bangladesh by eight wickets yesterday.The home side was put into bat and posted 120-5 in a rain-hit game that was reduced from 20 to 15 overs after a two-hour delay.World T20 host India won with seven balls to spare, reaching 122-2 as skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni smashed a towering midwicket six.Dhawan and Virat Kohli combined for a 94-run partnership for the second wicket after India was reduced to 5-1.Kohli was unbeaten on 41, while Dhoni was on 20.”The top order played sensibly and made it easy for us,” Dhoni said.”It’s looking very good now, we are on track for the World T20. It’s the beauty of the side that everyone is taking responsibility to finishing the game.”Bangladesh’s fast-bowlers Taskin Ahmed (1-14) and Al-Amin Hossain (1-30) shared the wickets.To the delight of the home crowd, Al-Amin broke through in just the second over when he swung one nicely to get the edge of Rohit Sharma (1) who was caught by Soumya Sarkar at first slip.Dhawan and Kohli spent some uncomfortable moments at the crease against the pace of Al-Amin and Taskin. They took their frustration out on Abu Haider, who was playing his first match. Haider conceded 14 runs in his first over and the quick didn’t bowl further in the match.Both Dhawan and Kohli also found Shakib Al Hasan’s left-arm spin to their liking as they kept India in the hunt.Dhoni hurried the victory for India with 20 off six balls including one four and two sixes.”We are disappointed, no doubt. They played really well and we couldn’t keep the pressure,” Bangladesh skipper Mashrafe Mortaza said.”We have exciting batsmen and bowlers, hopefully this team will carry on from here.”